Mostly Rainy in Baška, Krk Island, Croatia

Thursday morning, we left Rovinj and followed the main coastal roads to our next destination.

Our approximate route from Rovinj to Baška.

We passed through the city of Pula on the south of the Istria peninsula, then headed up along the eastern shore. We lost view of the water briefly as we passed through green farm valleys and abandoned factory towns.

The stretch of road between Plomin and Rijeka was incredibly scenic. It hugged the hills high above the water and offered panoramic views of large bays, numerous islands, and the cloud-trapping mainland.

Abandoned factory in a valley town.Another abandoned factory.Stocking stuffer factory for bad children.Inlet for water and coal.Out to sea.A bend in the scenic highway.

We decided to stop, savor the view, and eat some savory food. We backtracked to a small hill town named Mošćenice.

Tu Tamo Restaurant was empty. We took a seat on the patio overlooking the water. Wild fig and apple trees grew on the hillside, and small vegetable gardens were all around us.

Our meal was delicious: wild boar stew on gnocchi, potatoes and kale, and squid ink pasta. We had a basket of fresh sliced bread.

A young jasmine vine, wrapped around the railing next to me, was infested with brown aphids. The wind blew the weaker ones onto me and the table.

Krk island was connected to the mainland by a single, towering bridge with a hefty one-way toll.

We continued along the main road south, passing through a few small towns. The road felt brand new and was flanked by separated bike lanes.

In the afternoon, the weather got cloudier. We passed by Baška town and checked into our cabin at the end of the road.

It was a tiny, pre-manufactured building that the naturalist resort called a “romantic cabin”. It was perched on a hill overlooking the private bay and consisted of three tiny rooms: dining/kitchen/den, bathroom, and bedroom. There was barely any space to move without bumping into something, a problem made worse by a disproportioned folding table and the lounge chair cushions that had been brought in from the rain.

We hid the cushions under the bed, folded up the table and jammed it into the only available corner, and put our bags into the closets. The space was functional.

Drizzle fell as we went into town to buy groceries. After making dinner, we drove up the switchbacking, one-way road to the hilltop cemetery. The sunset was ominous and cloudy.

I was worn out from a day of driving, so I rested in the cabin while J went for a walk along the shore into town again.

When she returned, the rain began to fall.

The blue water of Baška beach.The town from above.The clouds rolling in.Cemetery tower.Rain imminent, seek shelter.

Overnight, the violent wind and heavy rain was relentless. I was surprised that none of the shade canopies had ripped off their riggings.

The deluge lasted all day, and we stayed cooped up inside the small cabin and bumping into walls, reading, and dealing with spotty connectivity. I was starting to question my dream of living in a micro house.

We drove into town and wandered the streets in search of lunch. Despite a poncho and rain slicker, we both got soggy.

There was no sunset, only rain and darkness.

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Sunday morning was sunny. We took the opportunity to go to the beach as naturalists did, though it wasn’t hot enough for a dip in the clear water.

Afterward, we geared up and began a hike up the trail behind the resort.

The trail got rockier and more epic the higher we climbed. We traversed rocky canyons, along rock walls that blocked sheep. The clouds threatened rain at any moment, and they drizzled on us twice.

Below, we lost sight of the resort as our view of the water, islands, and mainland widened. After passing the only tree cover, we entered a rock field that descended into two scenic bays accessible only by foot or boat.

We ate lunch a hillside overlooking the mainland.

Our first view of rocks.Makeshift gate.Looking down at our cabin.Long rock wall.Ascending along a wall.Stacked stones and sea view.Rain clouds over town.So many rocks.J on the path.Tree-shaded mixmaster on top of the hill.Trail signs.J and the trees.This way!So beautiful.The high point.Looking towards the little blue bay with the mainland in the distance.Sheep bay.I think J and I found our dream house.

On the return, we passed by numerous sheep. I tried to feed bites of apple to a mother and her lamb, but she didn’t seem to want it.

Rock field.Me and my appropriate hiking attire. Note the cool plastic poncho.There’s a hole in the wall where I could see it all.The descent.Mother and lamb.

We took an alternate route home: the yellow trail. In hindsight, I think the color code meant no yellow bellies. At the start of the descent, two Germans coming from below looked at my flip-flops in shock and confusion.

It wasn’t until we got father along that I understood their concern. This canyon trail was steep and rocky, and a series of dry waterfalls had to be climbed down.

We scrambled our way down the canyon, wondering when we would see the water. It started drizzling. This was not the water we were hoping for. Luckily, the rocks didn’t get too slippery.

After a tiring hour and half, we reached a beautiful gravel beach. We rested and enjoyed some snacks and I inspected the tattered soles of my sandals.

It was sunny again as we followed an unclear path from cove to cove back to the resort. We stopped for a drink at the beach bar, but saw no additional nudity.

That evening, we made dinner in the cabin with all the doors and windows open. It felt bigger that way.

The yellow canyon trail.Crevice flowers.A little swimming beach.

Sunday morning, we checked out of the hotel and checked out Baška. The town looked prettier when we weren’t getting soaked.

A view inside our little cabin I had to take from outside the door.Calico.Floaters.J on the pier.Boating fail.Little herb garden.Random area.The red towel.Yellow wall house.Personal vineyard.Trailer man.No parking.External stairs.The little blue door at the end of the alley.Flakey girl.Family name.Backyard well.Blue car: 2×4.Red car: 4×4.Looking back on beautiful Baška valley.

After petting a long-haired beachside calico cat, we hopped in the car and began our drive off the island towards new adventures.

2 Comments

May 28th, 2015 at 9:28 pm

Sandi Gonzalez:

I have enjoyed our journey. Looking forward to see where we will land.

June 22nd, 2015 at 2:30 pm

Val:

You outdid yourself in photos for this post — just stunning. That one of “the clouds rolling in” is something I’d hang in my living room. Incredible landscapes all around. I love that picture of J on the pier too.